Reviews

Never Kiss Your Roommate by Philline Harms

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annabellelb_'s review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

crissi's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Cute romance book which felt like a mix of Harry Potter, Life is Strange and Gossip girl, but make it queer.

I really liked the characters, the writing style and the display of healthy relationships and friendships. Also the book touched on really important topics like internalised queerphobia, the impact of bullying and family issues, but also how you can come back from it. The reason why I gave this book 3 stars was mainly due to the pacing, poor character building and the amount of plotlines pressed into 360 pages.

I enjoyed the story and the characters, also the ending made the whole book for me way better. Especially the display of forgiveness. I appreciated the showcase of consent throughout the whole book a lot.

The most critical point to me was the pacing: There were too many tropes and plotlines, which in the end made the story feel rushed and it didnt do justice to any of the subplots. I would have wished the author would have focused on 1-2 main plots points and would have taken their time with it instead of mixing other elements in it throughout the last 150 pages. That felt a little forced and rushed to me and made me in some instances laugh out loud because it was so preposterous.

Also, the character building was a little shallow and stereotypical. The author heavily relied on an "in your face" style, presenting the anxiety, flaws, and redeeming qualities of the characters directly to the reader. Unfortunately, this approach made the characters feel unnatural and one-dimensional. Rather than allowing one to organically discover these traits, they were served to you on a platter, leaving little room for depth or complexity. I would have preferred a more nuanced approach, where these character elements were woven into the story so it would have felt more natural and the characters more authentic and multidimensional.

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